This document provides a summary of news from Northampton Business School (NBS) in November 2010. It includes the following highlights:
- NBS achieved high results in the recent National Student Survey, ranking 9th out of 123 UK business schools for student satisfaction with teaching quality.
- Catherine Mandungu, an NBS student on placement at Microsoft, won the Microsoft Intern Award for Personal Development.
- Two NBS students were each awarded £3,000 Santander International Development Awards to fund projects connected to their studies abroad.
- Events management student Emma Marshall recently returned from a volunteer project in Zambia with Orange and UNICEF.
Decoding the Tweet _ Practical Criticism in the Age of Hashtag.pptx
NBS Student Survey Results and Microsoft Partnership
1. Businesswise/Nov 2010 /
Winter Edition
Page 1 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
In this Months Edition
Microsoft
Visit
Campus
/ pg 10
Haijin Gui
visits NBS
/ pg 6
“NBS frequently receives feedback from
students on the quality of teaching
provision within the School. We welcome
this news and are always pleased to
hear how students feel about their
experiences with us. We are also
formally benchmarked against other UK
universities (via the National Student
Survey) for quality of provision.
This year we are pleased that we have
achieved the following results:
9th out of 123 UK Business Schools
for the number of final year students
who are satisfied with the overall
quality of teaching on their course.
In the 1st quartile of 123 UK
Business Schools for satisfaction
with the quality of the organisation
and management of courses.
Overall, I am pleased to report that
we were consistently ‘higher than the
national average’ in all categories in the
survey.
The quality of the work here is testament
to the efforts of our staff and also to the
students for actively engaging with their
studies.”
Should you have any good news or
feedback that you wish to share, please
email: business@northampton.ac.uk
Dr Ian Brooks, Dean of Northampton Business
School, reports on the recent National Student
Survey results, 2010
Emma Visits
Zambia
/ pg 3
DPSI Student wins coveted award!
Congratulations to Anthony Adamberry (employed by the Ministry of Justice in Gibraltar).
Anthony is the 2010 winner of the Chartered Institute of Linguists’ Susan Tolman Award for the best
Diploma in Public Service Interpreting candidate in the English Law option and he is also the 2010 winner
of the Susan Tolman CPD Prize for the best candidate overall in the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting
examination.
The prize was presented by HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO in London in early November.
Calling all second year students, now is the time to organise
your work placement. Contact business@northampton.ac.uk
for further details.
News Flash /____________________________
Anthony Adamberry pictured bottom left
2. Engine Creative is pleased to announce that Lauren Jackson is the winner
of the Engine Creative Prize for 2010. The prize was established in 2008
to recognise creative talent and industry potential for students on the
Advertising with Design BA (Hons) course at Northampton Business
School.
Award winner Lauren receives a cash prize and will take up a work
placement with Engine Creative as part of the award. Following interviews
with a shortlist of candidates for the prize, Lauren’s strong knowledge base
and obvious passion for advertising and marketing shone through.
Engine Creative’s Strategic Director, Andrew Wise, comments: “The quality
of candidates was particularly strong this year and Lauren stood out as
someone who had the same open and positive attitude to the creative
industry as we do at Engine Creative. She is looking to secure a role
working agency-side across a range of media projects and we’ll certainly
be keeping an eye on her career progression.”
Run by Northampton Business School, the Advertising with Design (BA
Hons) course has consistently produced talented graduates that have gone
on to forge successful careers in the creative, advertising and marketing
industry.
“We’re proud to be working with Wendy Langford (Senior Lecturer,
Marketing Communications) on this prize and have been hugely impressed
by her subject knowledge and her ability to engage and involve businesses
such as ours in the development of creative talent in the region.
It’s the second time we’ve had the opportunity to offer this award which
follows on from the Engine Most Promising prize awarded last year. We
would urge all local businesses to get involved with The University across
the great range of courses it has to offer.” says Wise.
Previous winner Hayley Dunn is now working as a Digital Project Manager
in a well respected agency and Engine Creative has just hired Advertising
with Design (BA Hons) graduate Lizzie Howland as Production Assistant.
This recruitment is further investment in the talented workforce currently
being developed in the region and testament to the work that The
University of Northampton is doing in producing graduates that are
academically strong and also industry ready.
Engine Creative works extensively in the local region with a number
of organisations in a range of sectors and, being based centrally in
Northampton, understands the importance of the role that The University
has in helping to create a positive image of the region and enabling the
town to maintain strong growth.
Page 2 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Hard work..makes prizes!
NBS Student wins Microsoft Intern Award
Catherine Mandungu (BA (Hons) Business Studies) who is working at Microsoft as a Northampton Business School placement
student in Reading, has won the Microsoft Intern Award for Personal Development.
Catherine was one of 68 Undergraduate Interns at Microsoft and was nominated for two awards. Catherine won the award for
her excellent understanding of the Microsoft Education channel and licensing model and added real value to Microsoft and their
partners. Her achievements helped the Microsoft education team achieve their Education pricing level revenue and email growth
targets. Congratulations Catherine!
NBS is delighted to be developing further links with Microsoft…see page 10 for details.
Santander Awards
Second year BA (Hons) International Development students – Oshie
Shulman and Fatima Manjra (pictured here with Prof. Richard Sanders)
have each been awarded Santander International Development Awards.
Initially available as one award, Santander have graciously given both
students a scholarship based on the strength of their studies and
applications. The scholarships are valued at £3000 each, to be spent on
projects connected with their studies. Both will be working on projects
abroad and are delighted with their successes.
Andrew Wise and Lauren Jackson
3. Page 3 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Third year Events Management
student Emma Marshall has
recently returned from a
community work experience
project in Zambia with Orange.
“Throughout my time at Northampton Business
School I have learnt the value of networking, gaining
as much work experience as possible and making
valuable contacts for the future. In doing so, I have
been very fortunate to have the support of my
course tutors and Orange (where I worked as a
sales advisor throughout my time at university). I
initially took the role within Orange to earn whilst
at university but came to realise that they had many
opportunities for me to develop within different
areas of the company related to my course.
I have been fortunate enough to benefit from
different opportunities with Orange; such as helping
to plan one of their largest corporate events earlier
this year and taking part in their RockCorps project
which helps local communities. After planning
my own local fundraising event last year I was
extremely lucky to be chosen to go to Zambia,
Africa with Orange and their official charity partner
UNICEF this September.
Whilst in Zambia we visited villages and areas
that had been extremely affected by flooding. We
were able to see where money raised by Orange
customers and employee’s had been used by
UNICEF to benefit the lives of children and families
in these area’s by providing basic education,
health care and improved sanitation. The trip was
a fantastic experience and I feel privileged to have
been able to represent both Orange and UNICEF,
meeting such inspirational people along the way!
I feel that I can use my experience in Africa to
encourage fellow colleagues and friends to get
involved and take part in future fundraising events.
I will be able to show other students that there are
fantastic work experience opportunities out there
and to make the most of them throughout their time
studying at Northampton Business School. I’m sure
my final year at the Business School will be just as
exciting!”
Events Management Student
Emma Marshall visits Zambia
Student experiences
4. Datsa Gaile, 37, who is in her third year of a BA in Business
Management at Northampton Business School, is a Latvian
national living in the UK.
As well as studying for her degree, Ms Gaile is also a trained
bi-lingual paralegal and saw a need for a Latvian-language
newspaper and networking website for her fellow nationals now
working in the UK.
Her newspaper, Anglo Baltic News, is a monthly publication,
produced in traditional black-and-white broadsheet format which
currently costs £1 per issue.
Datsa credits the university for helping her with her publication,
saying: “I applied for a grant and business start up programme
at The University of Northampton Enterprise Club, which gave me
both capital for publishing a newspaper and knowledge of how to
start the business in the UK. It’s a monthly edition at the moment,
and from November it will be free of charge. Hopefully in a year we
will be publishing weekly!”
Anglo Baltic News is distributed to 200 Eastern European shops,
who sell Latvian food, nationwide. Entrepreneurial Datsa is
currently in negotiations with an airline to give it away for free to
passengers flying between London and Riga.
Her success with Anglo Baltic News saw her being interviewed at
The University recently by Latvian TV. Anglo Baltic News is the first
Latvian-language newspaper to be launched since 2004, before
Latvia joined the European Union.
Business student launches
Latvian newspaper for the UK
Page 4 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
When asked about how she landed her dream job
in Merchandising with TU Kidswear, Jessica said…
.”When first coming to university I had no idea which
way I wanted my career to go, however through
various lectures and modules I became more aware of
where my degree could take me.
In my second year I took it upon myself to find some
work experience in my chosen fields and initially
did a week long placement with the press office at
high street brand Warehouse. Even though this was
enjoyable I soon decided that it wasn’t what I could
see myself doing after graduating. This left me feeling
rather despondent and unsure of where I would find
my forte in the professional world…until I discovered
Merchandising!!
In my second year, we participated in a live
merchandising project with Tu at Sainsburys; my
report was chosen to be sent to Tu and this is where
I began to network. After deciding I wanted some
experience in merchandising, I emailed the Tu contact
and organised a placement within their merchandising
team. This was the turning point for me and I really
found I could use my strengths within this job role.
I knew, after my placement, that I wanted to join Tu
permanently so I kept looking for opportunities with
the company. I applied for a job within Merchandising
for Tu’s Kidswear team and was invited to an
interview. To prepare, I carefully researched the
company and job role while reflecting upon my skills
utilising the information gathered from the School
of the Arts workshops and the guidance provided by
Northampton Business School.
My preparation for the interview definitely helped and
being able to relate a work placement with them also
Jessica Clark - Fashion Marketing
graduate 2010
5. Page 5 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Eleven managers from Norbert Dentressangle have
become the first students to graduate with the
company’s unique Foundation Degree qualification,
eight of them with distinction.
Developed and launched in 2008 by Northampton
Business School in collaboration with Norbert
Dentressangle, the two year course was the first in
the country to offer the ILM (Institute of Leadership &
Management) Level 5 Extended Diploma in Leadership
& Management as part of a Foundation Degree.
The course has been designed to meet the specific
needs of Norbert Dentressangle’s business.
Covering modules such as team leadership, personal
development and Health & Safety, all the assignments
are work-based, enabling candidates to incorporate
their studies into their daily work activity.
Six more employees are expected to graduate in
January 2011, with 19 having recently completed
their first year and a new 19-strong cohort started the
course in September 2010.
Mike Fearey, Programme Leader said: “It has been a
real privilege to lead the course. All the students have
thrown themselves into their studies and the results
– eight distinctions and two merits – were a great
achievement and reflect the students’ hard work.”
Norbert Dentressangle implemented the programme
to provide talented middle managers with the support
and training to help them fulfil their potential. In
addition, for those managers with few qualifications,
the programme offers the opportunity to achieve
a degree, providing formal recognition of their
experience and competence.
Mark Simmons, Norbert Dentressangle’s HR Director
said: “Having the right people with the right skills
is at the heart of our service to customers and the
ability to foster and retain talent is critical to Norbert
Dentressangle as we continue to grow our business.
The first graduation ceremony was an extremely
special occasion and I wholeheartedly congratulate
our first 11 graduates, whose continued development
within the company we will follow with interest.”
Chris Dolby, Learning and Development Manager,
Norbert Dentressangle says:
“We have found the Foundation Degree to be a very
effective way of providing the right development for
our people. The work-based nature of the programme
is ideal for us and
our company
is already
benefitting from
better skilled
managers. We are
really happy with
the Foundation
Degree.”
Norbert Dentressangle drives
forward with Foundation Degree
awards
gave me an advantage and a USP!!! I was informed
two days later that I was successful and have now
been appointed the position which I am over the moon
about.
In this economic climate, I feel incredibly lucky to
have landed the start of my career so soon, however
I believe it is down to the experience I gained
through my time at university and using networking
opportunities to my advantage!
This is everything I could have hoped for as I see my
long term career within merchandising and children’s
clothing. I want to thank my tutors for their support
and guidance in the three years that I have spent with
The University of Northampton.”
6. NBS said a fond farewell recently to visiting scholar Haijin Gui from Wuxi Institute of Commerce in China.
Dr Gui (Dean of the Information Engineering Department) spent six months with NBS, researching
and participating in the life of the Information Sciences Field within the School. Haijin was involved in
postgraduate teaching and engaged in course preparation – bringing valuable scholarly knowledge and
experience to the Field. She also experienced many British traditions, including steak and kidney pudding!
Haijin commented:
“During my visit, I entered the Information Sciences & Business
Computing Department of Northampton Business School.
I found that three points impressed me most deeply and
would be instructive in my future work. The first is concerned
with Team Oriented Teaching. At least two teachers cover
each course and the work of the students (in most cases) is
undertaken in teams.
Student Oriented Teaching Methods feature highly too. Much
of the work is drawn from real projects and the academic
Page 6 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Staff News
NBS says goodbye to visiting scholar Haijin Gui
International News
Ian Brooks visits Guangdong
Polytechnic Normal University
NBS Dean, Dr Ian Brooks, pictured here at Guangdong Polytechnic Normal
University, was invited to address students who are considering travelling to
the UK to study for Masters qualifications at The University of Northampton.
Northampton Business School enjoys a productive partnership with Guangdong
and many students progress to Northampton annually. Following the lecture, Dr
Brooks met with senior staff of the university accompanied by the University’s
representatives in Guangzhou. It seems likely that the partnership between the
universities will be further strengthened by holding a joint student competition in
enterprise and the co-creation of new curriculum and student learning options.
Susan Bailey and Dr. Gui
7. Page 7 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Congratulations to Grahame Fallon
(Postgraduate Programmes Manager
for NBS and a Principal Lecturer in
International Business) who has recently
been awarded his PhD by Published
Works.
His thesis explored the causes and economic outcomes of
inbound Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) location and the
resultant implications for government FDI-related policy
development.
A new model was developed, bringing together new
thinking regarding the distribution of inbound FDI location,
its economic causes and consequences for Western and
Eastern Europe (drawn from seven already published
research papers) and the pre-existing academic literature
in the field. The model sets out an original approach to the
conceptualisation of the causes and economic consequences
of spatial and temporal variations in inbound FDI location in
the European context, centering on the key linkages between
its underlying drivers (economic development, transition and
transformation, path dependencies and institutional
arrangements, integration and convergence, and existing
government FDI-related policies) and the location of FDI.
The consequent economic outcomes for host countries and
regions, and the resultant implications for future FDI-related
policy development by governments are also included in the
model.
The thesis makes a contribution to theoretical,
methodological and practitioner knowledge and
understanding, of potential value to scholars in the
political, development and transition economics, economic
geography, institutional and cross cultural theory fields, as
well as to government policy makers and inward investment
agency practitioners. The model
generates specific propositions for
testing in terms of the causes and
economic consequences of inbound
FDI location and the resultant
implications for government FDI-
related policy development, with
the potential for application to
studies at the national and sub-
national regional levels within
Western and Eastern Europe and in
other global countries and regions.
Congratulations….Doctor Fallon!
Congratulations Debbie
Alexander…
Congratulations to Debbie Alexander on achieving her ITIL Expert and Managers qualifications. ITIL® is the most widely accepted
approach to IT service management in the world. This qualification will aid the student learning experience by focussing on best
practice within the Industry and providing transferable skills to students.
will invite students to join discussions in class, encourage them to think and provide useful resources and
information. It requires the students to prepare ahead of time with self-learning emphasized.
The third point is about the use of online teaching methods. NILE (Northampton Integrated Learning
Environment) plays a significant role in the teaching activities. With the popularisation of the campus
information system, digitalized management has become effective in all fields.
I would like to thank colleagues of Northampton Business School, especially Susan Bailey and her team, for
giving me such a valuable learning environment.”
Northampton Business School looks forward to future cross collaborative projects with Haijin and Wuxi
Institute of Commerce.
8. Page 8 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
General News
NBS moves
forward with
plans to enhance
its facilities
Students, staff and visitors will have seen
the scaffolding being erected around
parts of Northampton Business School’s
Cottesbrooke building. We are delighted
that construction of the new extension
is now underway and look forward to
seeing the building develop. The extension
will provide a large social learning
space; offering a relaxing but purposeful
environment in which to meet and discuss
business ideas. Additionally the facility will
include a number of new teaching rooms,
breakout rooms for group work, a mock
boardroom and a new PC suite.
Draft plans are shown below. We apologise
that the build schedule will cause some
inconvenience to students, guests and staff
and hope that you will bear with us – we
should be able to enjoy the new facility
from June/July 2011.
The FT is here!
Cottesbrooke
is now Wi-Fi
Enabled!!
Students and staff can log in by
searching for wireless network
“wireless” and entering their
university username and
password.
Students will have seen copies of the Financial Times in Cottesbrooke
building...140 copies are delivered every day and are all gone within an
hour! The excellent initiative seeks to introduce a serious newspaper to
our undergraduate student population with the aim of improving their
understanding of global business issues.
Ground floor First floor
9. Page 9 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Courses starting in January 2011
NBS has a number of courses starting in the New Year. These courses will be attractive to both full time and part
time/distance learners. In particular we offer:
PG Cert Enhancing the International Student Experience:
Throughout the sectors of Higher and Further Education there is a continuing growth of various forms of
internationalisation. This growth raises issues related to the quality of the provision provided by all parts of an institution
and the overall experience of International Students. The course will enable learners to develop as reflective practitioners by
initially exploring theories relating to cross-cultural education. Learners then examine current practice related to their own
area of activity, teaching, learner support or administration, as appropriate. Students will have the opportunity to design
and research the effectiveness of any form of intervention appropriate to their own work with the intention of improving the
experience of international students.
PG Cert Income Generation Bidding & Tendering:
This course is designed to develop the competence and confidence of professionals from Higher and Further Education,
and the Public, Private and Third Sectors in the increasingly important area of bidding and tendering for funds to deliver
research, funded projects, and consultancy. Designed for busy people, the three modules of the Certificate programme
are delivered over eight to ten months. The assessment tasks are overtly practical – to submit income-generating bids and
tenders. The programme is ideally suited to any professional new to the strange and sometimes confusing world of bidding
and tendering; as well as their more experienced colleagues who wish to further develop their competence.
Additional courses starting in the New Year include:
Course title Mode of Study
BA International Accounting top up FT
MSc Accounting and Finance FT
MSc Accounting top up (from ACCA/CIMA/AIA) DL
MBA (Master of Business Administration) FT
BA Business & Management top up FT / DL
MA Management (all pathways) FT
Postgraduate Certificate/Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies/MBA top up DL
MA Leadership & Management top up (from Edexcel/CMI/ILM/NCC/ABE) DL
MA HRM top up (from CIPD) DL
MSc IT Service Management FT
Pg Cert/Pg Dip/MSc IT Service Management DL
MA International Marketing Strategy FT
MA Marketing top up (from CIM) DL
KEY: DL = Distance Learning FT = Full Time
Full course information can be found on our website: www.northampton.ac.uk or by emailing:
business@northampton.ac.uk
10. Page 10 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Guest Lectures
In the last edition of BusinessWise we highlighted a number of guest lectures. These lectures, often by Industry Professionals, are
invaluable to the learning experience of students and can often lead to placements or work experience.
This term we highlight the following:
Microsoft Visit Campus!!!
Former BA (Hons) Business Information Systems graduate
Farhin Khan was employed by Microsoft in September as a
Premier Field Engineer (SQL Server). Her success as the first
ever graduate hired by Microsoft from Northampton Business
School has resulted in further interest in NBS students from UK
Group Managers of Microsoft.
In November, they attended Park Campus for a ‘Microsoft
Careers Day’ where students were able to view demonstrations
of new and emerging technologies and gain an insight into
working life with the group. In addition, they were able to
engage in informal discussions with Microsoft representatives
on potential career opportunities. This was a wonderful
testament to the high quality teaching of NBS staff and to the
progress of Farhin as a newly employed graduate. Well done
Farhin!
Allan Fraser-Rush, the Visiting Industry Professor in
Integrated Marketing Communications spent some time with
the NBS Marketing Division in October to share industry
practice with Marketing staff. Allan is the Global Planner
for Lowe International, based in Stockholm Sweden, and
works mainly on Electrolux/Zanussi and Saab. He ran a
two hour session for staff in the morning on the theme of
“Brand Engagement”. He provided an interesting insight
into how this is approached within his agency, with digital
communications playing an increasingly important role in
getting consumers involved with a brand. There was also
a discussion about how the subject can be taught to our
students across a number of the Marketing modules.
In the afternoon, Allan presented a lecture to staff, year three
and postgraduate students on “The internationalisation of
advertising campaigns.” In the lecture he discussed how
countries are being brought together under a regional
umbrella to reduce costs and the challenges this creates in
using similar communications across different countries and
different cultures. He also explored in some detail how Saab
is promoted across a number of countries and the issues that
need to be addressed to communicate effectively.
It was an early start for
our year three Advertising
and Design students on
Thursday morning. Allan
used an aspect of his
work with Electrolux to
challenge the students
to come up with ‘out of
the box’ ideas to present
back to him. Allan also set
the students a research
brief that will culminate in
them presenting their findings and ideas to Allan and senior
management from Electrolux in June 2011.
This is the third year Allan has set the agency client project
and after seeing the presentations, Allan said “Year on
year the students take on issues that our agency (Lowe and
previously TEQUILA) are engaged with for their client and
show a level of work that should be commended. This year
they have an exciting challenge that I hope they will take full
advantage of.”
Visit from Marketing Industry Professor
11. Page 11 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
In November, year two and year three Operations
Management students were visited by the Institute for
Logistics and Transport (CILT) and key representatives
from Norbert Dentressangle and Baxters Healthcare.
The Logistics Industry is a vital component in the world
of Business. Every product and service we consume
relies on the industry to deliver goods between business
and customer and business to business; whether it is our
clothes and food bought in the high-street and brought
from across the globe or a parcel delivered from an
on-line company. The industry recognises the need to
recruit high grade students into a variety of career areas,
whether it be Operations, Marketing, Human Resources
or Accounting and Finance.
Students were given an insight into the rich variety of
activities this industry undertakes. Presentations included:
• the supply chain of grapes-on-the-vine to wine-on-the-
table;
• the challenge of supplying logistics solutions for high
street retailers and supermarkets;
• the challenges of supplying a huge variety of
healthcare products to all parts of the NHS;
• the vast range of high street brand names that have
their logistics handled on their behalf by a Logistics
Solution Provider.
The personal experiences described by the presenters
showed just how varied the career paths on offer in this
industry truly are. We are extremely grateful to them
for donating their time and expertise. One speaker had
travelled in from Zurich, just to meet with our students.
Both Norbert Dentressangle and Baxters Healthcare have
major presences in Northampton and operate throughout
the world. One student commented “I was impressed
by the exciting opportunities for worldwide career
progression and shall definitely be looking to the Logistics
Industry for a possible career path.”
The event was arranged in conjunction with Catherine
Klimes and the Careers and Employability Service,
pictured below with the CILT representatives, Norbert
Dentressangle, Baxters Healthcare teams and Tim
Peacock, course leader.
Institute for Logistics & Transport
At the time of going to press, the following additional speakers are planned for this term (full details can be found
on our website www.northampton.ac.uk):
• Jim Kerr, ACAS
• Brian Capon, Assistant Director, Media British Bankers’ Association (BBA)
• Professor Robert Grant, Author of the best selling textbook: Contemporary Strategy Analysis
• Jenny Briggs, Business Improvement Leader at Northampton General Hospital
• Ashley Portlock, HR Director at Goodrich
• Professor Keith Still from Crowddynamics.com
• Ed Brookes, Director of Finance, HR and IT, Silverstone Circuits Ltd
• Mark Mulcahey, Director of Arthur D Little UK, Management Consultants
• Martin Sutherland, CEO of the Royal & Derngate Theatre
In addition, NBS is delighted to announce that we are planning a series of major research lectures which
will begin in the New Year. This prestigious series is intended to enhance the student learning experience by
welcoming a number of key industry and research professionals to the School. Their experiences and research will
be invaluable and we look forward to this exciting period.
12. Page 12 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Research & Enterprise
New Social Enterprise Scheme At
Northampton Business School
Northampton Business
School strides forward
in its social enterprise
activities through a new
scheme, designed to
benefit graduates and
employers from across
Northamptonshire and
surrounding counties.
Graduates, unemployed executives
and young people can take advantage
of one of three programmes being
run by Northampton Business School
in conjunction with social enterprise
3e. The Graduate Boost scheme gives
graduates the chance to apply their
learning and help make improvements
to a real business through a paid work
placement.
Following the success of the first
Graduate Boost cohort in January
2010, the second round of placements
has been launched. This round
involves 200 graduates undertaking
a placement for a period of up to 12
weeks. Working in a paid role in local
SMEs, graduates will gain valuable
experience whilst undertaking a module
from Northampton Business School’s
Master of Business Administration
(MBA) programme. This module,
‘The Effective Manager’, will further
equip graduates to tackle work based
problems in a structured and measured
way. During the placement, successful
applicants will work on a specific
project selected by the host company.
They will be guided and supported
throughout their placement and on
successful completion will meet with a
head-hunter who will put them forward
(where relevant) to companies with
vacancies.
Funded through the European Social
Fund, Plan B is an Enterprising Skills
Programme for Young People aged
16–24 which seeks to develop
enterprise opportunities, attitudes and
strategies.
In addition to the valuable contribution
made by the above schemes,
Northampton Business School also
offers a programme designed to help
students set up their own business.
Enterprise Inc. has been running for the
past two years through the University’s
Enterprise Club and has seen 52
undergraduates and recent graduates
receive bursaries to help them start
up their own business. Successful
applicants receive a cash bursary of
£2,500 alongside £3,000 worth of
business support including advice,
training and mentoring.
There have been a wide variety of
businesses started up through this
scheme including podiatry practices,
photographers, new product
development and a children’s book
illustrator who has developed and
marketed her own children’s character.
The scheme will continue into 2011
with another cohort of 25 placements.
Dean Morrison, a recent graduate of 3e, commented:
“I entered the 3e programme with
few preconceptions; an enthusiasm
to complete a relevant business
qualification and the hope to eventually
re-enter the workforce in a meaningful
way. What I actually discovered was
a team of committed individuals
who, not only possessed the skills
necessary to support those of us whose
career direction was floundering, but
individuals who seem to revel in the
chance to lead, guide and sometimes
even push their contemporaries down a
road of greater expectation. For anyone
who has been patronised by a typical
recruitment organisation, this may
seem too good to be true – it’s not.
The Postgraduate Certificate of
Management was a fantastic
experience and a real confidence
booster; studying with like-minded
people on a course that proved to
be highly regarded by my eventual
employer. The confidence comes from
being able to draw on so much of your
past experience - understanding that
so much of it is still relevant, whilst at
the same time, gaining an insight into
new methods and processes, tools and
techniques.
13. Of course, it’s definitely not all about being spoon fed. The
more you personally put into it, the more you will definitely
get out of it. I found this to be especially the case with
regards to the work placement. I chose an assignment early
and committed to it for a full three months. Whilst there
were times when I asked myself “why am I doing this” (which
I think is normal in most jobs), for the most part, I found a
project that was challenging and rewarding.
I found people who valued my help as much as I valued
their humour. It is a real journey: gaining a new job, a new
perspective and hopefully some new friends. I would have
no hesitation in recommending this program to anyone who
is prepared to take an engaging and positive approach to
re-building their career.”
Page 13 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Ric Ellis, Business Development Manager at Apex, a renowned social enterprise, based in
Leicester commented on the success of their graduates through the Graduate Boost scheme:
“We have offered placements to six graduates since 3e
began and they have been producing excellent work. Our
first cohort of Reena, Raj, Dina and Asad produced some
fabulous projects. All were presented with very good
testimonials from us and three have applied for jobs at the
company. All are considering volunteering with us in the
future.
Between them, they have produced the following:
• One new funding and investment database (for internal
use and for external sale)
• One analysis report
• Multiple useful analysis and research
Our second cohort (Anne and Hinal) will be completing the
following projects:
• Research and input to our Café business plan
• Research and input to our Training business plan
The work that the graduates undertake for us is vital in that
it informs our business planning
for the future. Graduates under
the 3e scheme are motivated
and committed; attributes
which are invaluable within our
organisation.”
Supporting Enterprise
in Corby
Enterprise Coaching is a new project being delivered by the Funded Projects Unit to encourage and support enterprise to the
residents of Corby.
This is a free service, funded by the European Regional Development Fund to run to March 2012.
The objective of Enterprise Coaching is to increase the levels of economic activity within disadvantaged communities; assisting
individuals to start up their own business, become self employed or make a significant change in their life.
To achieve this, the programme aims to support individuals to make a positive ‘enterprising’ change in their life through access
to various coaching activities. This is not a business support programme but a programme which supports individuals to effect
positive change in their lives.
Since May of this year, 32 clients have engaged in the project receiving a total of 151 hours support.
Actual support comprises of 1-2-1 coaching and 1-many coaching workshops. These help break down any barriers the client may
be facing such as self confidence, self esteem and communication skills which may be preventing them from making that change.
14. Page 14 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Be INSPIRE(D)
Internal Network of Student
Publication for Integrated
Research Excellence
INSPIRE was created in June this year by Linda
Lee-Davies (following an idea from Professor Nada
Kakabadse) that student publications could be used
more effectively in our overall research activity.
Linda and Nada felt that Northampton Business
School could maximise on the increasing quality
of Masters level dissertations and other good
work. Opening doors to publication for these many
talented students would not only enhance their
CVs but also add to the research quantity, quality
and robustness for Northampton Business School.
In addition, NBS anticipates that relationships
with local businesses will continue to increase as
collaboration with employers develops.
With the further observation that there were also
many talented lecturers who could be encouraged
to increase their research activity, Linda created
INSPIRE to be flexible enough to accommodate their
interests too. In addition to the original ideas and
guidance from Professor Nada Kakabadse, Linda has
been fully backed by a very strong foundation panel.
Dr. Ian Brooks offered his full support and suggested
that this becomes a cultural norm. Dissertation
supervisors are now pre-empting publishing
possibilities with their students as they develop.
Dr. Grahame Fallon has isolated a number of quality
dissertations for INSPIRE and several publications
are already in embryo stage. Deborah Mattock
is assisting with legal matters and Dr. Izabela
Robinson, Ross Thompson, Dr. Simon Burtonshaw-
Gunn, Prof. Simon Denny and Dr. Kathleen Mortimer
furnish the research advice.
INSPIRE will become a focal point for NBS to
encourage, gather, monitor and increase its
research/publishing output. The project has started
well because of the collective effort of a modern
thinking and proactive team who want to make
research more accessible for all.
As part of the funding agreement, the project must provide minimum support of 12 hours to 140 people.
The key to making the project work is to engage with the Corby community at grass roots level. It has become clear the project
is an extension of what existing community groups are already doing. With this in mind, the project is looking to recruit four
community groups as delivery partners. In doing so, we will support and develop them to deliver 1-2-1 coaching and in return they
will develop the team to become community development workers - big society at work!
One recent case study saw an unemployed couple from Corby start their own business in the Industrial Cleaning Industry. The
couple, who had recently moved from Coventry to Corby, engaged in the project after picking up a leaflet at the local TA Centre.
Enterprise Coaching worked with the client to utilise their previous experience in the contract cleaning industry to increase self
esteem and confidence whilst offering practical solutions to their aspirations of owning their own business. After a period of short
term employment, the couple generated enough funds to get their business underway on a part time basis initially, with a view to
becoming a full time enterprise in the future.
For further information, please call the Enterprise Coaching team on 01536 527427 or email:
enterprisecoaching@northampton.ac.uk
Dr. Brooks, Prof. Kakadadse and Linda Lee-Davies discussing
potential research papers
15. Page 15 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Strategic Partnerships
NBS consistently makes its programmes relevant to the world of work through links with professional bodies and institutions.
Students studying with NBS at either undergraduate or postgraduate level are assured that the teaching is of the highest quality and
benchmarked to industry standard. Our courses are designed to maximise exemptions (where possible) and to offer rigorous content
which ensures that students are prepared to go straight into their chosen career. We offer the following:
Marketing and Entrepreneurship
We are delighted to announce that our BA (Hons) Marketing programme has been granted ‘Dual Award’ status by the Chartered
Institute of Marketing (CIM) in recognition of the professional relevance of our curriculum. Students joining the programme from
September 2011 and passing with a minimum ‘Upper Second’ classification will gain exemption from two of the four units of the
CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing. This will give our graduates a head start in their continuing professional development.
More details about Dual Award will be available on the Northampton Business School website shortly.
We are also in continued discussions with the CIM to offer students taking specific modules the opportunity to gain the CIM/CAM
Diploma in Digital Marketing.
Northampton Business School already offers a route to Chartered Marketer status through our delivery of the following CIM
qualifications: Professional Certificate, Professional Diploma, Chartered Postgraduate Diploma, and MA Marketing (top-up).
Diploma in Public Service Interpreting
On successful completion of the examinations, students are awarded the DPSI qualification from the Institute of Linguists. The
DPSI is accredited at NVQ level 6 by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
Accounting and Finance
The strategy of the field is to develop programmes of study that best meet industry needs in the 21st century. This is achieved by
either developing programmes in association with key professional bodies or benchmarking teaching, learning and assessments
against professional body standards. The Field has entered into formal agreements with the Association of Chartered Certified
Accountants, The Institute of Chartered Accountants, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, The Institute of
Financial Accountants, The Association of International Accountants, The Association of Accounting Technicians, The Institute of
Accounting Technicians of Canada, The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, the Chartered Insurance Institute
and Chartered Institute of Public sector accountants.
Examples of links with specific courses include:
Our BA Accounting & Finance course offers maximum exemptions from the ACCA.
If you hold any of the professional qualifications above you will receive enhanced standing onto one of the field’s
undergraduate or postgraduate programmes. For example, the field has an agreement with the IFA to accept holders of the
“Professional Financial Accountant” qualification onto the one year BA (Hons) International Accounting degree programme
that is delivered on campus or by distance learning. Members of ACCA and CIMA will gain significant exemption from the MSc
Accounting and Finance also available on campus or by distance learning.
16. Editorial Contact and School Manager: Jennifer Catlin Tel : 01604 892921
email: jennifer.catlin@northampton.ac.uk
www.northampton.ac.uk
Page 16 BusinessWise Nov 2010 / Winter Edition
Leisure Management and Languages
NBS holds membership of the Association of Events Management Education (AEME), the National Outdoor Events Association
(NOEA) and Eventia.
Our new Leisure Management and Lifestyles course for 2011 (subject to approval) will be accredited by the Institute for Sport
and Recreation Management (ISRM). In addition to robust specific knowledge, this course is coupled with an extensive variety of
qualifications such as a Supervisory Recreation Management qualification, Spa Management, Employment awareness in Active
Leisure and Learning Sector (QCF) and many more. At the end of the three year degree pathway, students will be accredited with
the title as a diploma member of the institute which will allow them to carry the title, as well as BA (Hons) but also M.inst. ISRM.
dip. Needless to say this greatly improves employment prospects for graduating students.
Our Travel and Tourism courses offer strong links with the European Union of Tourism Officers, Tourism Management Institute and
English Heritage as well as marketing organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Human Resource Management and Management
Postgraduate Diploma in HRM (Level 7), MA HRM (Level 7) and Certificate in HRM (Level 5)
The CIPD have approved the content of these courses as fulfilling the knowledge and understanding requirements for Associate
Membership. In order to gain full membership of the CIPD, students need to gain experience in an HR role at an appropriate
level. This is done through the CIPD, and not through the University.
During 2010/11 we intend to include some modules in BA HRM (single or joint) as fulfilling the knowledge and understanding
requirements for Associate Membership of the CIPD, as well as the above qualifications. In addition, we will be seeking to gain
Chartered Management Institute (CMI) accreditation for BA Management.
Information Sciences / Business Computing Systems
Our courses are linked closely to the IT Service Management (itSMF), Association for Project Management (APM) and Skills For
Information Age (SFIA). Northampton Business School was the first academic partner for SFIA and the MSc ITSM programme
recognised as Innovative by itSMF in 2008. This has provided students with a unique opportunity to align their skills with industry
standards and to have access through their studies, to current and relevant material from itSMF, APM and SFIA.
The Information Sciences team are qualified in ITIL® up to Expert level and in Prince2® and SFIA.
(E&OE)